In this series, we’re profiling real-life superheroes who are fighting to end preventable diseases. Each one has an alter-ego from our quiz, “Which Lifesaving Superhero Are You?” Take the quiz to find out which hero you are. Meet Martha Clara Nakato, AKA Wonder Njeri! When faced with stigma and discrimination, she fights back to make sure everyone has the acceptance and care they need. Martha Clara Nakato is an HIV/AIDS advocate and volunteer for Uganda Network of Young People Living...
In 2018, 770,000 people died from AIDS-related causes. Malaria is back on the rise, especially among children under 5 years old, who account for two-thirds of all malaria deaths. More than 10 million people contract TB every year, but nearly 40% of those are left undiagnosed. If you don’t live in a community where these diseases are prevalent, they might seem like far away issues — but global health affects everyone. That’s why everyone, everywhere, should play a part to...
We’ve been telling you about the power of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria all year. Recently, the Global Fund released a new report outlining the progress it has helped make in the fight to end AIDS, TB and malaria around the world. Since 2002, countries where the Global Fund invests have seen: AIDS-related deaths drop by 56%. TB deaths drop by 22%. malaria deaths drop by 46%. And in 2018, countries where the Global Fund invests have...
Before she was diagnosed with HIV, Morolake Odetoyinbo, or Rolake, was living the life she’d always dreamed of. She had graduated from performing arts school, gotten married, and was running her own small bakery in northern Nigeria, where she lived with her husband on a military base. Then her husband tested positive for HIV, and five months later Rolake, 28, received the same diagnosis. Her doctor gave her between 5-12 years to live. “At the time I was just a...
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria don’t just cause illness and deaths around the world, they decrease productivity and increase the risk of poverty in the communities and countries affected. Loss of income and the cost of healthcare have dramatic effects on the individual, as well as their family and community. Here’s what you need to know about these three diseases: HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks and destroys the body’s immune cells making it difficult for the body to fight off...
What is global health? It’s a big year for global health so ONE is going to be talking about it a lot. But before we jump into the nitty gritty statistics or the importance of getting funding for the world’s most innovative partnerships, let’s talk about what global health actually is! Global health is about improving people’s health worldwide, reducing inequality and, protecting societies from global threats, such as preventable diseases, that don’t stop at national borders. So why is it important? We...
Discrimination against sexual minorities in Kenya is costing the country up to US$1.3 billion annually, a report by a coalition of global businesses said, attributing the losses to missed tourism earnings, poor health and less employment of LGBT+ people. The report by Open For Business – an alliance of big companies including tech companies Google and Microsoft and Deutsche Bank – estimated anti-gay attitudes were shaving off up to 1.7% of Kenya’s annual gross domestic product (GDP). “A lot of the...
Sierra Leone has banned female genital mutilation (FGM) as part of a wider clampdown on initiation ceremonies by secret societies, a minister has confirmed. With nine in 10 girls cut, Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of FGM in Africa, according to U.N. data, and is among only a handful of African countries where the practice remains legal. Girls are cut during initiations into powerful secret societies – known as the Bondo – which wield significant political clout. The ban...
We first introduced you to Robinah in 2016, and now we’re catching up with her to see what her life has been like since she revealed her HIV status to her classmates and began her journey as an HIV/AIDS activist. When Robinah Babirye was ten years old, her mother sat down with her and her twin sister Eva and told them they were both HIV positive. Robinah was devastated. Now 25, Robinah sees that moment as a beginning, sparking what...